Propeller-wheel.



No. 801,685. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905. H. J. PERKINS.

PROPELLER WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov, 5. 1904.

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fwd Z776# No. 801,685. PATENTED OCT. l0, 1905.

H. J. PERKINS.

FROPELLER WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 5. 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATENTED OCT. l0, 1905.

E. J. PERKINS.

PROPELLER WHEEL.

APPLIUATIoN FILED N0v.5.1904.

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Www-255m UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

HARRY J. PERKINS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, `B'IICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF CNE- THIRDTO FREDERICK L. PERKINS AND ONE-I`HIRD TO CHARLES E. PERKINS, OF GRANDRAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

PROPELLER-WHEEL.

To fry/ /1'71 mit fr' 'nm/y concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in PrOpeller-IVheelS, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inpropeller-wheels, and especially to propeller-wheels having' shiftableblades for the purpose of reversing the position of the blades in thewater; and the invention consists in the construction and a1'- rangementof parts hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

The objects 0f the invention are, first, to furnish novel means fordetachably connecting propeller-blades to the hub of thepropeller-wheel; second, to furnish means whereby the blades may bereadily removed from the hub and replaced therein; third, to furnish asuperior means for locking the blades individually in the hub and alsoto exclude the water from the interior of the hub; fourth, to furnish ablade-shifting' device whereby the connection between the blades and theshifting device can be readily disconnected by a lever or other suitablemeans located within the boat; fifth, other objects hereinafterdescribed and claimed. These objects I accomplish by means of themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of a propeller shaft and wheel with the shiftinglever attached, the dotted lines showing the positions which the levermay assume for the purpose of changing the pitch of the blades and forunlocking; the blades from the hub. Fig. 2 is a plan view, on anenlarged scale, of the hub and a portion of the shaft and sleeve,showing' my preferred form of openingin the hub which receives the shankof the blade. Fig. 3 is an end view of a blade, the dotted lines showingthe shape of the shank which corresponds with the opening which receivesthe same into the hub. Fig. A is a longitudinal vertical section of thehub and sleeve with the propeller-shaft in place, showing one of thepins which engages with the blade, also showing the hearing of the hubupon the collar. Eig. 5 is a sectional view on line b of Fig. 2, showingthe position of the shank of Specification of Letters Patent.

the blade when the same is secured within the hub and also showing indotted lines one of the connecting pins on the movable collar whichshifts the blade. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the hub on line a fz ofFig. 5, showing the form of the openings in the hub which receive theShanks of the blades, the form of the movable collar, and also showingthe position of the blades. Fig. 7 shows an elevation of a bladedetached, illustrating' the construction of my preferred forni of shankand segmental shoulder,said shoulder resting upon the [lat surface ofthe outside of the hub and the enlarged portion of the shank adapted tobe locked within the hub. Fig. S is an end view of the collar E, showingthe device when adapted to engag'e with three propellerblades. Fig. 9 isa side elevation, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of a part of the shaftand sleeve which surrounds the shaft, together with the lever andattachment for moving the sleeve and shifting the propeller-blades. Fig.I0 is an end View of the lever and quadrant with sleeve which surroundsthe shaft shown in section.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A shows the propeller-shaft,of suitable construction, inclosed in asleeve which passes through the stern-bearing B, having' a suitablestufIing-box.

C is what I term a thrust-colla1" secured to the sleeve G and operatedby means of a suitable lever.

D is the inside stuliing-box, constructed in any suitable manner.

E is the propeller-hub.

E is a movable collar which carries the shifting pins or other means forengag'ing with the Shanks of the propeller-blades. This collar F extendsinto the hub and also preferably Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Appiimionaiea Novemberaieoa smaila. 231.570.

IOO

in the drawings is represented by pins H, in which drawings I have shownthe shifting collar F substantially triangular in cross-section at thepoint where it engages with the blades for the purpose of attaching thesame to three propeller-blades. It will be understood, however, that thenumber of blades attached is not material to the invention. The pins Hengage loosely with the slots I in the propeller-blades, which slots Iare placed within the shank of the blades, as shown in the drawings.Each opening in the hub is preferably made somewhat in the shape of akeyhole, or having projections J J, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,giving the peculiarshaped opening illustrated by J The form of thisopening, however, may be varied to suit the shape of the shank of thepropellerblade. The inner portion of the shank of the pro peller-bladewhich passes through the shell of the hub beyond the projections J Jforms a lock within the hub, the form being suoli that the shank may bereadily inserted in the opening J' and by turning the same slightly belocked therein. The form of the shank is fully illustrated by dottedlines in Fig. 3 and also shown in Fig. 7, K representing the enlargedorkey-shaped portion of the shank, which is provided with the groove I,which passes into the hub.

R shows the circular-formed neck between the portion K and the segmentalshoulder S, said segmental shoulder S being ground smooth, so as to fitclose against the flat portion of the hub, as shown in Fig. 6.

L is the quadrant and quadrant-frame, which supports the shifting-leverM, and is preferscription.

N is a removable stop placed in the quadrant, which stops the lever whenshifted in one direction, so as to prevent the same from moving thesleeve G and the collar F suiiciently to detach the collar from thepropeller-blades. When it is desired to remove any one or more of thepropeller-blades from the hub, the stop N is removed and the lever M isshifted to the position Vshown in Fig. l by the dotted line 4. I/Vhenthe lever is shifted into this position, the collar F is drawn forwardto such an extent that the shifting pins or connections H are entirelydetached from the shank of the propeller-blades and the propeller-bladescan be turned into position, so that the enlarged portions K registerwith .the openings J', and the blades can then be readily removed fromthe hub. The propellerblades are shown by O, P, and Q. The hub E isrigidly secured to the shaft by any suitable means. In Fig. 4 I haveshown it secured by means of the bolt T and the key U, the bolt Tpreventing longitudinal movement and the key U preventing rotarymovement upon the shaft.

In Fig. l the solid line l shows the lever M in position to set thepropeller-blades so as to drive the boat ahead. The dotted lineindicated by 2 shows the position of the lever when the blades areshifted square with the shaft or in'a neutral position, in whichposition the propeller-wheel when revolved will neither move the boatforward nor backward.

When the lever M is in the position shown by the dotted line 3, theblades are shifted so as to move the boat backward orV reverse itsmotion. I/Vhen in the position shown by dotted line 4, the shiftingdevice is disconnected from the lever and the blades are turned intoposition to be removed from the hub.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to have invented, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with a propeller-shaft, a hollow hub fixed to saidshaft and having a plurality of irregular openings, a plurality ofblades having shouldered Shanks at the inner ends thereof, said shanksinserted in said openings inthe hub, and the shoulders adapted to engagethe latter by turning the said blades, movable means within said hub forengaging the shoulders for moving, the blades, and means cooperatingwith said first-mentioned means for actuating the same.

2. In combination with a propeller-shaft, a hub rigidly secured to thesaid shaft, said hub provided with a plurality of irregular-shapedopenings, said hub having enlarged spaces with the openings, a pluralityof propellerblades, each propeller-blade provided with a shank and anenlarged portion at the inner end of the shank which passes through theshell of the said hub and is locked therein by shifting the blade, asliding collar within the hub, means for connecting the said collar tothe shanks of the propeller-blades, and means for giving a slidingmotion to the said collar for the purpose of shifting the saidpropeller-blades to the required position.

3. In combination with a propeller-shaft, a hollow hub secured to thesaid shaft and having a plurality of flat faces, said faces having akeyshaped opening, an enlarged opening below the said key-shapedopening, a plurality of propeller-blades, each blade provided with ashouldered portion', a shank having an enlarged portion extending' intothe said propeller-hub and locked therein by turning the blade, asliding collar within the hub, means for connecting the collar to theShanks of the blades, and means for giving the longitudinal movement tothe said collar upon the propellershaft for the purpose of shifting theblades.

. 4. In combination with a propeller-shaft, a hub secured thereto andhaving a plurality of IOO IIO

irregular openings, a plurality of blades, each provided with a shankadapted to fit into its correspondingI opening in the hub and to belocked therein by turning the same, a sliding collar within the hub,means for connecting the collar to the shanks of the blades, a shiftingdevice whereby the said collar is shifted to give the required pitch tothe blades, and a removable stop to prevent the blades from being'shifted in a position for removal from the said hub.

5. In combination with a propeller-shaft, a hub mounted upon the shaftand rigidly secured thereto, a sliding collar within the said hub, asleeve Connected to said sliding collar and operated b y a lever, saidhub having openings of irregular shape, propeller-blades having shanksadapted to fit the irregular-shaped openings and to be locked therein,means for detachably connecting the sliding collar to the saidpropeller-blades, and a removable stop for limiting the throw of thelever when shifting the propeller-blades.

In combination with a shaft of a propeller-wheel, a hub rigidly mountedthereon, a sliding collar partially within the said hub having awater-tight joint between the said hub and the said collar, said hubhaving a plurality of openings, each opening adapted to receive a shankof a propeller-blade, a plurality of propeller-blades` each blade havinga shank adapted to tit into the said opening and to be locked therein byturning, means for detaehably connecting the said shanks to the saidsliding collar, and means for shifting the said collar for the purposeof giving the required pitch to the propeller-blades, and

also for shifting the collar so as to disconnect the same from thepropeller-blades.

'7. In combination with the shaft of a propeller-wheel a hub rigidlysecured thereto, a plurality of openings, a plurality of propellerbladeshaving shanks adapted to fit the said openingsso as to be locked thereinwhen the said blades are shifted, a sliding collar within the said huband having means for detachably connecting' the said propeller-blades tothe said sliding collar, a sleeve surrounding the said propeller-shaftand securely attached to the sliding collar, a lever and quadrant foroperating the said shaft, and a removable stop, as N, for limiting theinward throw of the said lever.

8. In a propeller-wheel the combination: a propeller-shaft, a hubrigidly secured to the shaft, a plurality of blades detachably securedto the hub, a sleeve detaehably connected to the blades, a lever foroperating the said blades whereby the said blades may be tilted to aposition for moving the boat in advance or toa position for giving' it abackward motion, to a neutral point and to a position for unlocking thesaid sleeve from the blades, and a removable stop for arresting' themovement of the lever when it is not desirable to unlock or detach thesleeve from the blades.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRY J. PERKINS.

Vitnesses:

EDWARD TAGGART, MARY S. Toonen.

